Working on behalf of the incumbent Chiller Maintenance Contractor, we were asked to compile an Investigative Report on the above Chiller Plant serving the Energy Centre’s recent High Pressure trips / operation.
To facilitate the investigation a Lap-top based dual unit Data Logger was fitted to Chiller No2 System No3. The first data logger used is a Pico ADC22 – 10 Bit Resolution split into 2 Conditioning Boards. The First Conditioning Board uses 11 Channels with installed OP Amps to piggy back the existing Micro-panel Transducer and Sensor Instrumentation; so not to impose an additional load to the control circuits. Each Channel has an Input Impedance of >10 MOhms. The second 11 Channel Condition Board has a 0.3 MOhms Input Impedance which is used to piggy back onto 0-10VDC Signals. The conditioning Boards were made by our Engineers and hold Calibration Certificates by from our Tool Calibration Company. The Second Data Logger is a Pico TC-08 – 10 Bit Resolution with 8 Input Channels suitable for K Thermocouples.
Chiller No2 System No3 was put into service and several events were captured both via the Data Logging and by visual inspection, these included:
• With an ambient of 7.0 DegC and a Return Water Temperature 10.0 DegC, System No3’s Discharge Pressure kept rising to above 16.0 BarG until the System Tripped on Low Discharge Superheat; R134a.
• The Discharge Superheat is VERY LOW at around 3 DegK which also suggests a refrigerant over-charge.
These findings were submitted along with the raw data collected.